Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sweet Easter Day!








A sweet Easter day!  Church, friends, food and sweet little ones in their Easter best!
Our sweet Southern friends, Jennifer, Addison, and Eli came over after church to snap some shots of the kids!  Her husband is a State Trooper for Wyoming and had to work today.  We just love this bunch and have so much fun together and now that they live a few streets down in their new house, we are loving being close!  Jennifer is a gift to me from Jesus!!!  I am so thankful for her.  A treasured day!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

F.I.V.E.



I cannot believe our babies are five. Why must they grow up?  What a precious, precious time.  Luke asked me the other morning at breakfast "how" we grow up.  As I began answering him, I thought about the fragility of that question. What a LIFE question Luke! So early in the morning too!
I began describing to him how things grow and what makes them grow and how God designed the baby to be small so it could fit inside a mother....then i started to loose it. I had to turn to face the sink and drop a little tear.  Whew! He is such a thinker, such a great thinker! I love that he has questions.  As I answer them, I really try to be correct and think about his heart and how he might translate my response.    They are both just full of life and the age of five is still such an innocent age, and i truly feel that we must keep that innocence about them for as long as we can.  Not to hinder, but i belive that by doing that, we allow the true spirit of a child to develop.   We are just more in love with these two spring babies as ever and can't wait to see what the next five years and beyond bring to us! 


Our celebration over the weekend was such a blessed time!  By Monday night, I think Josh and I were  seeing double because we were so tired.  I am certain the kids were wiped, but we celebrated hard because that's what you do when you have a double birthday!!!  I try really hard each year to make each of them feel like it's their day, and to feel special individually.  But this year it hit me that, they may be individuals, but they truly don't know anything BUT being together, and so they would'nt have it any other way.  Sweet.

We are ever so thankful for our two little growing children.

So here are the highlights from the weekend.  Now I guess it's Happy Easter! Go hunt eggs with a child...pick a flower...look up and feel the sunshine. For this is worship!

The Lord is RISEN, He is risen indeed!!!!!

Hallelujah!!!!



My big boy at the zoo riding a bull.  We had a sunny day on Friday, and we couldn't resist the zoo!   Do you see Isabel in the back?  That little girls name was Olivia, and she had a little sister named Isabel!  As you can imagine, our Isabel thought that was the neatest thing!


You better believe it, we're turning FIVE, Chuck - E- Cheese!!!!


Sweet Daddy!!





Why is skee-ball so fun!!?  Good times!


Ok,  I guess it had been quite a while since I had been to chuck e cheese for a party, and I was SHOCKED that they took away the entire animatronics show!!!!   What???  No cheerleader?  No ape on the electric piano? Josh and i were like....what is chuck e cheese without that?  I mean, that was  THE BEST PART when i was growing up! All the animals playing instruments, and all the good music and they only played it once every hour.  Well at least the twins didnt know what they were missing.   But then, they may have redeemed themselves a little with the TICKETBLASTER!!!  It was pretty awesome.



McKenna got her ears pierced and hair done at the American girl salon!  I cannot believe Isabel has not asked to get her ears pierced.  Maybe she just doesnt think we would let her.  Josh and I had totally planned on letting her, if she asked, since she wanted to get McKenna's pierced.  Nope, she didnt ask, so we didnt either.  Until she asks I suppose we won't do it.


For school, I made pink and black soccer cookies for them to take to school!  


Breakfast and a present before school!






Celebrating with friends at school!  Found these cute glasses instead of party hats at Target, and the kids LOVED them.   That is Luke looking at his best pal Crayton.  They are so funny together!


Isabel and her sweet friends Ava and Meighlyn


Decorating on their birthday..


Luke wanted a Hockey Puck cake!

Isabel wanted a "big pink cake"









Lamentations 3:22-23
 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.


I hope you enjoyed the pics :)
Life is SO worth celebrating!  


We also want to wish our sweet cousin 
"Marky"
a VERY Happy Fifth Birthday tomorrow!!!!!






Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Almost 5!! {Big & Blessed}

The big twinkie birthday weekend is almost upon us and there is much excitement in the Wyoming air! We are heading to celebrate in Colorado again like last year...mainly b/c there is a Chuck-E-Cheese and a Dave and Busters there :) but who knows where we will end up! It was much warmer last year, so it looks like we won't be going to the zoo. I am trying to talk them into the Denver Botanical gardens...but for some reason it's not flying! :) ha! What five year old doesn't want to go to a botanical garden?!

Well Happy FIFTH Birthday sweet babies of mine..... With each passing year my heart grows heavier knowing they are growing up so quickly..but I try not to think about that. We love every day with them and once again we will celebrate those little lives, just as we do every day, receiving and thanking God for entrusting us with such a gift.



Thursday, March 7, 2013

Teton Village/Jackson

I had written a very long, detailed synopsis if these photos earlier and lost the entire post.... Pictures will have to do...

Enjoy! And go to Jackson Hole. Period! ;)

































Wednesday, March 6, 2013

National Elk Refuge

This week, Luke and Isabel are on "spring break", Josh had some time off..so we drove up to Jackson Hole. This is becoming our favorite area out here bc it is at the base of the Grand Tetons, the Teton Nat. Park, and very close to Yellowstone. We had also been wanting to visit this time of year because between December and March, the elk have all gathered at the refuge. You can read about it if you google it. It is so interesting how every year in the spring and summer they all spread out, then return here each year!! You can take a sleigh ride right out into the middle of them, and you will find yourself feeling like you are living back in 1920. It was so neat! Our guide explained to us all kinds of history and interesting facts about Elk and the museum at the visitors center is a must see as well! I highly recommend this if you ever come to Jackson Hole. We are back home now and I will blog tomorrow about the skiing and the town! Our "cityguide" of sorts!


It was a wintery mix kind of day!




Warming up with Daddy




This sleigh was behind us...they took two out at a time.


A beautiful Bull Elk that had ventured away from the pack... The male's have a light coat, and females dark.




Our guides, Smith and Weston





Inside a snowball!


Listening to elk sounds.  Isabel loved this!



Happy and warm!

2 days before the twins arrived....

2 days before the twins arrived....
I am so thankful my Dad took this picture....to remind me what it felt like to hold two precious lives inside of me...

Be encouraged!

Lord fill my heart with Yours
that I may know Your will,
those things that I should act upon
and when you want me still.

Guard my mind from useless thoughts
that clutter, harm, confuse.
Create in me a closeness
that Your course I'll always choose.

Clear my hearing, teach me
to identify the lies,
that I may only hear the truth
of who I am in Christ.

Lord, satisfy and fill me
with Your Spirit from above,
that I may truly know the freedom
of Unfailing Love.

Then planted deeply in that love,
my heart in full surrender,
Lift the veil for all to see,
my life display Your splendor.


Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I BELIEVE......

I BELIEVE......
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11